Seven daughters

“The land sakes alive! Brother Endicott will have to buy calico by the piece for their gowns! He might get a little throwed off, or a spool of cotton extry. He, he! ho, ho! Well...

It was a bright June morning. The windows were all open; the birds were singing, and the air was sweet with out-of-door smells. Waving grasses, hosts of flowers, rose and honeys...

I went out to the kitchen and advised a few moments with our maid of all work, and then began to arrange the supper table. The visitor must sit next to papa, of course, but not...

Fan, Nelly, and Stuart played croquet until it was fairly dusk. There were shouts of laughter, and much hurrying around, as if no time was to be lost. Mamma and I went quietly a...

An awesome quiet settled over the house. I did not remember a time when any one had ever been very sick. The children gathered in groups, and spoke in whispers, and for a day or...

“Mrs. Whitcomb will have to leave us to-morrow,” mamma rejoined. “I do not believe I could spare you both. On the other hand, we do not desire to slight Mrs. Hyde’s kind invitat...

“O mamma, wonders will never cease!” exclaimed Fan. “To think that I should be singled out for such favors! Why, Kate Fairlie would die of envy this blessed moment, if she knew...

Fan heard the sound of the voices without distinguishing the words, and turned to an inspection of the dresses. There was a dainty apron overskirt of the muslin, with the same l...

Excitements and engagements multiplied with us. One and another had visitors from the city and we were sent for to tea or to spend the evening. Stuart was asked every where as w...

After the eating and drinking, the elders gathered for a sociable chat. It was as good as old-fashioned country visiting. Modern calls seem to have carried away the charm of soc...

We were all pretty tired the next morning. The children slept late, and Fanny was unusually languid for her.—Stuart was the only one who did not appear to feel the effects of di...

The next thing that happened to us was—though to be exact, it was two events. In the morning papa had a long, lovely letter from Stephen Duncan, enclosing a check for two hundre...

Merry Christmas had come and gone with its ordinary festivities and gifts. Ours had been unusually bright, and we were all well and happy. Only one thing troubled papa and that...

It seemed so strange the next day to look at Fan and think what had happened to her. I was glad to have it Sunday. The very church bells appeared to have caught a deeper tone, a...

There was quite a lively time in the parish for a fortnight. Papa had two marriages in Church, one of which was Annie Fellows and Mr. Hunter. Then Miss Maynard was married at ho...

“I think Louis will make the nobler character. Stuart would rather take life just as it is, picking out the best for himself, to be sure, and not minding much what scraps fall t...

I wished there could be no such thing as breakfast the next morning, but there was, and I had to go through with it, feeling that I was no longer I, that Rosalind Endicott was s...